FOTW ACQUIRES SHABNAM GREWAL’S CRIME DEBUT ‘THE KILLING OF UNCLE RAJ’

Fly on the Wall Press has acquired worldwide rights to ‘The Killing of Uncle Raj’, a powerful debut cosy crime set in Southall, West London, by award-winning TV and Radio producer Shabnam Grewal.

Nearly forty years ago, Sameena Kaur's uncle was murdered in a racist attack on the streets of Southall. The case went cold, and the family stopped talking about it.

Now a jaded radio reporter, Sameena can't leave it alone. Digging into the case pulls her back into the heady, dangerous world of late-1980s West London, a community under siege, fighting for its own safety. But as she edges closer to the truth about who killed her uncle, she realises the past isn't finished with her family. And neither is the killer.

Sharp, atmospheric and darkly witty, The Killing of Uncle Raj is a gripping crime thriller about buried grief, community, and the fault lines of race, then and now.

Shabnam Grewal said: ‘I am beyond delighted that Fly on the Wall Press are publishing my novel, ‘The Killing of Uncle Raj,’ which is set in Southall, in West London, an area and community I know well. It’s been a real labour of love writing this crime novel and I hope I have done it justice.’

Isabelle Kenyon, Managing Director of Fly on the Wall Press, said: ‘ “The Killing of Uncle Raj” is exactly the kind of novel we're proud to publish: a gripping, page-turning mystery with a sympathetic central character, wrapped around a piece of vital social history. Shabnam Grewal unwinds this mystery with real skill, layering in clues and evidence that keep readers hooked from start to finish. But what elevates this book is its unflinching, authentic portrayal of the racism of the 1980s, the rise of the National Front, and the complex fault lines between different communities of colour navigating that hostility. It's a story that feels urgently timely, given the resurgence we're seeing today. This is commercial fiction with depth, and we can't wait for readers to discover it.’

‘The Killing of Uncle Raj’ will be released on the 16^th of September 2027

ENDS

About Shabnam Grewal

Shabnam Grewal is a British Asian woman from West London. She grew up in an era of Skinheads on the streets, riots and anti-racist activism. She was an early member of Southall Black Sisters, a feminist group which grew out of the struggles of Black and Asian women against both white racists and men from their own community. She went to work in Feminist publishing – Blackwoman Talk and Sheba Feminist Publishers, as well as being involved in lots of Radical Arts and activism. Shabnam then joined the BBC as a local radio producer and went on to become a network Radio and TV Producer, making current affairs films and radio documentaries for over 25 years. She has won many awards, and she also went undercover to investigate the care of elderly people in hospital, for a Bafta nominated Panorama. She is currently working as a podcast producer, is a Trustee for an incredible charity which empowers young people to make films and music videos on issues of importance to them (https://www.youtube.com/user/integratebristol) and is working on her second novel, which also features Sameena Kaur.

Fly on the Wall Press

Media contact:

Isabelle Kenyon

isabelle@flyonthewallpress.co.uk